2,500 tons of pure awesome. Kaiju vs Mecha!

Rating: 9/10 (13 July 2013)

As a kid growing up, I used to watch Godzilla and other Japanese monsters all the time and it quickly became my passion. I also had some respect for the mecha genre like Gundam, Zoids, etc. While this is not the first time kaiju and mecha class for supremacy (examples being "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" and "Envangelion"), it has never been done on this kind of scale. What we have here is essentially a "love letter" to those classic films and this is coming from Guillermo del Toro of all people in all his creature mastery. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the ultimate clash of the titans. This is Pacific Rim.
Plot: Giant monsters from another dimension called Kaiju (Japanese for monster) are sent through a portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to eradicate all of humanity. As normal weapons prove ineffective against the beasts, the military develops the ultimate weapon, the Jaegars, giant robots driven by two pilots built to go toe-to-toe with their reptilian rivals. While successful at first, more and more Kaijus come in stronger than their predecessors to take down the Jaegars. With options and resources being depleted, it will take a former pilot and his new partner to control a legendary Jaegar as part of a final plan to end this war of the monsters.
I've been waiting to see a film like this on the big screen since "Godzilla 2000". First off, I love this world Guillermo has created as a lot is established to breath life into this grand world of monsters and machines. We see how people live in a time like this and how they all see this entire situation from different perspectives. Most of the characters are surprisingly likable, each having their strengths and weaknesses, and the acting isn't half bad (if not over-the-top at times). It's hard to get likable humans in a monster movie and this film does a good job with it as I generally feel for the characters as they develop unique relationships, in particular the main pilots Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori as well as their commander Stacker Pentecost.
The highlight of the film is definitely the Kaijus and the Jaegars and the battles between them and it never disappoints. These are some of the best actions scenes I've seen in a film like this. Like a giant-sized wrestling match, these titans smack each other with random objects, shooting projectiles, and smash through buildings, pretty much beating the living crap out of each other and everything in sight is reduced to rubble. I like how unpredictable the battles are as the film keeps you guessing on what's going to happen next. I also love the designs of both combatants as each of them, Kaiju or Jaegar, has it's own unique design and special abilities (not to mention cool names like Red Cyclone, Leatherback, Gypsy Danger, Otachi, etc.).
Overall, I was blown away by this movie. While the beginning was a little slow, it picks up the pace in the middle and ends with an epic climax. I honestly hope a sequel is made (and believe me they're planning on it) so I can see another titanic showdown between monsters and machines. If you love action, science fiction, Guillermo del Toro, or Japanese monsters, then definitely check this one out because it's worth it.